The plane, an Airbus A320, departs Tokyo's Haneda Airport for the short trip to Toyama, on the west coast of Japan. It soars up and out of the city, through the clouds, and makes a series of turns before encountering the blinding blue of the country's western coastline, the Jinzū River, and the approach to Toyama. The flight, which takes 55 minutes one-way, is reduced to only one minute and 29 seconds in the time-lapse clip, shot by All Nippon Airways (ANA).

Lately pilots who film or take photos during their time in the cockpit have come under fire, and FAA regulations prohibit commercial pilots from using a personal wireless communications device (such as a smartphone or GoPro) while in the air. This ANA promotional video (which originally appeared on Facebook) gets by since the flight—a domestic trip between two Japanese airports—isn't under the FAA's jurisdiction. It offers an interesting glimpse inside rarefied space.

Traveler Tip

To make the trip between Tokyo and Toyama, travelers have two main options: to fly (as shown), or to ride the Shinkansen bullet train. Although the Shinkansen stop is part of the new expansion of the high-speed line to Kanazawa, which only debuted in March, it can actually be more affordable to fly.